Washington State University freshman Emily Durr will have little time this summer between donning her goalie’s helmet and gear to compete in the national lacrosse championships and donning her sparkling crown and gown to compete in the International Junior Miss (IJM) Teen pageant finals.
The lively and lovely 19-year-old from Tacoma is Washington’s reigning IJM teen queen and a fierce defensive player on WSU’s women’s club lacrosse team.
Durr, who hopes to earn degrees in psychology and criminal justice, is also a an energetic crusader for curing type 1 diabetes. On May 6, she will lead a team in the JDRF “Walk for a Cure” at Cheney Stadium in Tacoma.
Last month, she spoke at an event in the Tri-Cities for the General Federation of Women’s Clubs, which is supporting her efforts to bring awareness and technological advancement to fight the disease.
“As a proud representative of Washington state, I am dedicated to serving my community in a number of different philanthropic outreaches,” Durr said. In her role with IJM, she makes appearances across the Pacific Northwest and endeavors to use her title to benefit society, encouraging her audiences “to share and take pride in being part of something bigger than oneself.”
While maintaining her busy schedule in athletics and civic service, Durr earned a 3.74 grade point average in her first college semester, putting her on the President’s Honor Roll.